The use of flash memory is becoming more prevalent and the amount of information storable in flash memory is increasing. Flash memory is a form of electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). Unlike typical EEPROM, which is erasable one byte at a time, flash memory is capable of being erased one block at a time. Block sizes vary for various flash memory devices. Flash memory devices are typically small, light weight, and consume low amounts of power. Thus, flash memory is appropriate for devices such as mobile devices, laptop computers, battery powered devices, devices desiring low power consumption, and/or small devices, for example.
Typically, a flash device is inserted into a device such as a processor, and the processor interfaces with the flash device as though it were a disk memory. Flash devices also can be incorporated onto circuit boards, such as on a motherboard of a processor. Typical flash devices contain a mapping table for mapping to addresses on the flash memory. The mapping table is stored in the flash device on random access memory (RAM). The mapping table is typically generated upon initialization (e.g., when power is applied to the flash device when it is plugged into a processor) and the mapping table is typically lost when power is removed from the flash device (e.g., when it is unplugged from the processor). The flash memory is usually scanned to generate the mapping table. As the amount of information that can be stored in flash memory increases, the amount of RAM needed to store the mapping table will become too large for current devices. Also, the process of scanning the flash memory upon initialization can increase the amount of time needed to boot up the flash device.